Charlton, Carl Zeiss Jena, Standard Liege, Alcorcon, (Ujpest)

[davieG]

One family 5 clubs can this really be a good thing for football?

 

It sort of almost passed by unnoticed that Charlton were bought out at the beginning of the year by Belgian Roland Duchatelet, the current owner of Belgian club Standard Liege. He bought them three years ago and in the same year his son Roderick bought Hungarian outfit Ujpest.

Just before he purchased Charlton, Roland acquired German club Carl Zeiss Jena and has since bought AD Alcorcon, a Spanish second tier team. He's also previously owned Belgian team St Truiden and still owns their stadium.

Five of Charlton's six January signings arrived from Standard Liege. Had I been a Charlton fan at the time I'd have been seriously concerned at where the club was heading. It was beginning to look like another Watford to me.

Didier Saint-Viteux, a Standard Liege fan said of it all: "I think for now we are still the priority of Roland Duchatelet, but that could change if Charlton get into the Premier League." I don't think Didier need have too many worries but there must be some real concerns amongst those who watch their football at The Valley.

Tonight, on this season's first episode of Late Kick Off in the South East, Duchatelet will tell Charlton fans: "We (Charlton) will be a very realistic club in terms of what we spend. The aim is very quickly to break even, so the fans should expect us to sell players once in a while."

They sold both Dale Stephens and Yann Kermogant (a hat trick scorer for Bournemouth on Saturday) in January but what about this from the new owner.

He's also going to tell them: "The objective is to share the players. When a player not good enough for the first team (at Standard Liege) needs some experience he can go to Charlton. When we have a big talent at Charlton he can come also to Standard Liege."

As I said, Didier need have no worries. Charlton appear to have been bought for the sole purpose of being a feeder club for Standard Liege and nothing more, although it does appear that it would be beneficial if they could get into the Premier League to enable the new owners to get their hands on the money to help fund their number one club.

Charlton's chairman Richard Murray thinks the clubs can run independently and said: "What this gives us is a European scouting network that we could never afford as a Championship club."

Charlton are still in the relegation positions along with both Yeovil, who climbed off the bottom on Saturday, andBarnsley both having one point less. They are just one point from safety with Millwall the closest to them.

 

http://www.clarets-mad.co.uk/news/tmnw/welcome_to_the_new_championship_club_standard_charlton_liege_826483/index.shtml?

[Lamby]

It's a bit worrying about the bit saying how he'll sell our players to Liege, but hopefully it was just lost in translation. Having the bunch of clubs to transfer between is technically a good idea if you think about it.

[Super_horns]

The potential take-over of the Italian guy at Leeds seem to be more of an issue given his history.

 

TBH Unlike Zola I cannot see Powell being told who to buy and even sell without much of a say.

 

Like with our fans Lamby and co probably won't mind if Charlton get some decent players and improve whilst keeping a core of British players.

 

The trouble starts when you get a lot of average or unsuited players from overseas like we did in the summer (hence 3 of them have already return to various clubs)

[MC Prussian]

It's a bit worrying about the bit saying how he'll sell our players to Liege, but hopefully it was just lost in translation. Having the bunch of clubs to transfer between is technically a good idea if you think about it.

You may want to start working on your French and Flemish language skills. What if... Charlton were to be relocated across the Channel?

[Guest MattP]

You may want to start working on your French and Flemish language skills. What if... Charlton were to be relocated across the Channel?

 

He can't navigate his way from opposite the train station to the train station as a sign was pointing the wrong way, I don't think he's making it across the channel anytime soon.

[MC Prussian]

He can't navigate his way from opposite the train station to the train station as a sign was pointing the wrong way, I don't think he's making it across the channel anytime soon.

There is hope, though:

[Lamby]

You may want to start working on your French and Flemish language skills. What if... Charlton were to be relocated across the Channel?

 

Then it's cheap to get there!

[MC Prussian]

Then it's cheap to get there!

Explain me your logic, I can't follow.

[Lamby]

Explain me your logic, I can't follow.

 

You can get the coach from London to Belgium for £30 return.

[MC Prussian]

You can get the coach from London to Belgium for £30 return.

That's great - only ten hours one way. Add the 20 to 30 Euro for the matchday ticket and you're talking deal of the century.

 

Didn't know you were THAT loaded.

[DennisNedry]

Charlton to be Watford Mark II?

[Guest Bilo]

This link-up won't prove as effective as Watford's did last season for a number of reasons.

 

Firstly, the clubs in the family aren't as strong. Carl Zeiss Jena currently play in the closest German equivalent to League Two, Alcorcon are in the bottom three of the Spanish second tier and Ujpest currently find themselves four points above the relegation zone in the Hungarian League. This is somewhat different to having European regulars and a La Liga side in the stable.

 

Secondly; although the parent club, Standard Liege, are currently top of the league, it's been made clear that most of the talent will he heading to Belgium rather than from it. This is somewhat different to the Udinese situation where players like Vydra, with international experience, wound up at Watford. Genuinely high quality players from Standard Liege will either stay there or be sold on and improve the SL squad rather than the Charlton one.

 

Furthermore, Watford's flagrant abuse of the foreign loan loophole meant the Football League had no option but to close it. This means that the majority of transfers between Duchatelet clubs will have to be permanent, and has already been pointed out, most of the really talented players will wind up at Liege.

 

Obviously this might change if Charlton put in a promotion challenge, a London based Premier League club would have the Belgians' mouth watering, but I don't see this working as well for Charlton as it so nearly did for Watford. In fact, as Super_horns has already implied, the tie up is already looking less effective due to the number of mediocre players other clubs in the family have palmed off on Watford because they can't get into the Granada or Udinese squads. 

 

Lastly, a message to Lamby.

 

If you come on here bragging about Standard Liege results or getting excited about Alcorcon like the Watfinese kids do over Udinese and Granada on Twitter, I will be leading the petition for a lifetime ban.

[Super_horns]

 

 

If you come on here bragging about Standard Liege results or getting excited about Alcorcon like the Watfinese kids do over Udinese and Granada on Twitter, I will be leading the petition for a lifetime ban.

From what I understand neither team are having a particularly "successful"l season either!

 

Not a good year for the Pozzos..

 

Would explain why the likes of Fabbrini, Acuna and Iriney looked much worse/unsuited than some of their counterparts from last season.

 

Only "new" player we can really say has impressed is the centre half Angella and Tozser (midfielder brought on loan in January) but he was from Genoa.

 

There was a suggestion made on the Late Kick-off programme locally that Charlton could sell players to these other clubs too - don't think their fans or Powell would like to see players sold behind backs so to speak.

[Lamby]

There was a suggestion made on the Late Kick-off programme locally that Charlton could sell players to these other clubs too - don't think their fans or Powell would like to see players sold behind backs so to speak.

 

That's what happened with Stephens and Kermorgant.

[Guest Bilo]

Oh, go on....

 

[Vlad the Fox]

I can see Powell going and a yes man being brought in.

[Lamby]

From a VIP meeting held last night:

 

Q  Will we only be signing players from the network ?

KM said absolutely not. What happened in January was because we had to move fast.  There would be no chance of success if we restricted ourselves to network clubs.  “Polish Pete†is an example of this. Charlton will have its own identity and its own players.

RM pointed out that managers have two jobs. One is to spot good players and bring them in. The other is to work with inherited players, which CP is doing with the ex-Academy players. CP picks the team

 

Q   What comment do you have on the BBC programme in which RD said Charlton could sell their best players ? 

RM  -  It was a highly edited programme. They interviewed RD for 15 minutes and used the most controversial sentence. They also interviewed me for 10 minutes and didn’t use any of it.

KM  -  We do not want to become the second team of Standard Liege. I am Charlton now and want to do the best for Charlton.  Charlton will never be a top five Premier League club so it is inevitable that the club will need to sell its very best players at some time

[lancyclaret]

I can see Powell going and a yes man being brought in.

Looks like you were right. Feel sorry for Addicks fans.

[Vlad the Fox]

Looks like you were right. Feel sorry for Addicks fans.

This multi club ownership does concern me. Something needs to be done to curb it before it's too late.